Ticket issuer for pinball games



TICKET ISSUER FOR PINBALL GAMES Filed April 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l 5 i6 @#29 @'27 @H25 @#25 @H2L J2-- y im y u J6 1 Cm -L-TC. K

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TICKET ISSUER FOR PINBALL GAMES Filed April 2, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 @l5 lim/Dewey l @ooo F02 Sooo Foe O GOOD roe O O Two GAMFSQTWO GAMS O Two cAMeSO T1 Eff m@ im@ EQU, E933@ R. T. MOLONEY TICKET ISSUER FOR PINBALL GAMES Filed April 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 @M/fda@ Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in a ticket issuing device for use with pin ball games, the played balls serving, when trapped, to-close switches which close circuits to control operation of motor means to operate the ticket issuer.

More particularly the invention is an improvement over the structure shown in my (zo-pending application filed jointly with Milton N. Tigerman on January 23, 1935, Serial Number 3,036 for a Ticket issuing device for pin ball games.

These pin ball games embody a play board presenting a surface inclined from the horizontal, said board having holes therethrough to trap balls rolled over the surface. Skill in the playing of the game is developed by repeated playing thereof and to encourage as much play as possible, since the games are coin released, it is desirable to oier an award commensurate with the skill displayed. By the present invention it is proposed to pay oli in tickets which have a given value which entitles the player to receive from the location owner, coins or tokens, that may be used in the game for releasing the same for further play. Each ticket may have printed thereon its value, such for example as the legend Good for two free games. It is desirable to make the ticket award commensurate in value with the degree of skill displayed; in other` words, greater skill to receive a greater award, and lesser skill to receive a proportionately smaller award.

In my prior' application the ticket dispenser embodied a motor operated slide which operated connections, including a swingable lever and hook engageable in perforations in the tickets to issue or dispense the same. Also the slide controlled a circuit for operating a solenoid to actuate a knife to sever from the ticket band the tickets to be issued.

In the present improvement the motor operated slide operates a structurally different ticket issuing means and also a different type of ticket severing mechanism.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the invention to provide mechanism associated with a game of this type which will operate to dispense or issue one or more tickets of stated values as an award for skill demonstrated in the playing of the game.

Another important object of the invention is to provide such ticket issuing mechanism which embodies a ball controlled electric timer for governing the operation of a mechanical ticket issuer.

Still another object is to provide such means in a simple compact form so that it will be eilicient and fool proof in operation.

It is also an important object to provide means that will be operative automatically to issue one or more tickets in accordance with the skill displayed in playing the game.

A further object is generally to provide a ticket issuing device for coin released pin ball, and the like, skill games for amusement purposes.

Other and perhaps equally important objects of the invention will no doubt become clear to those skilled in this art as the disclosure is more fully made.

Briefly, the improved game of skill comprises a cabinet containing a play board inclined slightly from the horizontal and having formed therein a number of holes, each designated with a certain numerical value, and adapted to receive balls projected over the board. Switch means is arranged under each score hole so that a ball entering the holes remains supported by the switch means and closes a circuit to initiate operation of an electric means, such as a motor, which in turn' operates the improved ticket vending and severing mechanism. The ball controlled circuit closing mechanism may be so arranged that a predetermined number of traps must have received a ball before the dispensing mechanism can become operative. A commutator control is operative from the motor to regulate the time of effectiveness of the circuits closed, whereby the dispenser member may make one or more passes or strokes before being stopped. In this way the number of tickets issued is proportioned to the skill displayed. The setting of the dispenser control mechanism and of the game parts is preferably controlled by a coin released slide.

A practicable form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a general plan view of a type of pin ball game with which the improved ticket issuer may be employed;

Figure 2 is an electric diagram to illustrate the control means for the motor that causes operation of the ticket vender;

Figure 3 is an enlarged, central longitudinal sectional view through the game, showing the ticket issuer, as viewed along the line 3-3 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, detail side sectional view, illustrating the ball elevating mechanism, taken along the same line 3 3 before mentioned, but looking in the opposite direction;

Figure 5 is a detail, transverse sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3, looking in 2 Y Y Y the direction of the arrows, to show the manner of assembling the game board in the cabinet to establish certain electrical circuits;

VFigure 6 is Van enlarged plan view of the ticket Y issuing mechanism per se mounted in positionV in the game cabinet; Y Y Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the ticket vending mechanism shown in Figure 6;

Figure8 is a plan View of a section of the ticket band to illustrate the form Vof the tickets vended; Y

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view through the ticket vending mechanism taken along the section line 9-V-9 of Figure 6, looking in the direction of the arrows; and,V Y Y Figure 10 isV a longitudinal sectional vie throughV the ticket issuing mechanism taken along the line I0||l or Figure 6, lookingin the direction of the arrows.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3 the game withV which the improved ticket vender may be used, comprises a cabinet I0 having an open'top closed by a-glass panel I The -cabinet includes a front wall I2 anda floor I3. The game board is shown at I4, the samebeing sloped from the horizontal in the usual manner with its lower end adjacent the front wall I2. 'Ihis Yboard carries a raised member I5, providing an oval track I6 at the upper andlower ends of-the board-tc guide balls in the usual way. Balls are projected by a spring plunger I1, through the passage I8 onto the upper Yend of the board I4, such balls being guided by the edge I6 to Va spring bumper IS from which they rebound onto the play surface for gravitation down the board. Y

Thirteen ball Yreceiving, holes, in this embodiment ofthe game, are arranged in theboard I4 to receive `skillfully projected balls, such holes being preferably arranged in alined pairs, for the purpose, as will later appear, of controlling the manner of operation of the iticket, or pay orf vender. For example, the rst pair of holes is designated 20and 2|; the second pair 22, 23; the third pair 24, 25,; the fourth pair 25,'21and the fifth pair 28 and29. The'holes in each pair are transversely alined, as shown. A longitudinally alined-pair of holes 30, 3| is also provided; and

at theupper end of the board is provided what may be termeda master or control hole 32.

' VIn'playin'g'the game, as will later appear, to attain a ticket payoff it is necessary first to trap a ball in both holes of any one of the pairs of holes described,V Vand thereafter another ball must be lodged in the Ycontrol hole 32 to establishV the necessary circuitsto operate the vender. Or

the ball trapping maybe in any order; however, before the ticket vender'can work,'a ball must be in the hole '32, and in both holes of any of the pairs of holes described. A ball missing these yholes gravitates to the lower edge of the board I4 -tobe guided into the pocket 33, which may be termed anv out ball pocket.

Underneath the board I4, the side walls of the Y cabinet I0 carry guide brackets 34 for slidably mounting anvinclined thin ball release panel 35, normally pulled toward the front Wall I2 by a spring 36. The lower edge, or front end Vof this panel is thus normally disposed under the* outI ballfpocket k33 to support 'the spent balls therein asshown in Figure 3. VSaid panel 35 is formed with-'a'number of rather long lengthwise slots 36 equal in number 'to the ball receiving holes 'formedin the board I4 andrespectively positioned with respect to said holes to cause release f the balls from the game board holes when the panel 35 is slid or shifted rearwardly by meansV of the usual coin released slide'31 slidably car-V ried in the front wall I2Vof the cabinet, said panel 35 having a shoulder 38 thereon to be abutted by the inner end of the slide 31V in the manner well' as'shown iny Figure 3 the switch arms 3 I' and 32'V are normallyhorizontally disposed'between Vthe board-I4 and panel'35, said arms being pivotally connected 4by hinge pins 39 to clips 4U secured to the under side of the board I4. These arms 3|'Y and 32', and in all of the other switches too, ex-V tendl under `the respective holes as shown in` connection with holes 3| andf32, said arms restingVV on the panel 35 adjacent'the slots'36 therein. overlying. each switch arm is a spring contactbar 4| normally gapped away fromrthe switch armV and carrying an insulated plate 42 whichV is located in the respective'hole, as shown.Y Switch contacts are carried on the switch arms and under the spring bars, so that when a ball enters a hole, its weightrcauses engagement of these contacts, with the ball remaining supported' on the plate 42 untilzsubsequently released as will later appear.

Looking at Figures 2, 3, and 5 Vit will be seen that the upper end of the boardM, on its under side carries a plate 43 carrying seven transversely spaced, depending, contact posts 44, each post 44 being detachably in engagement with seven respective metal clips 45 mounted Yon the rear wall of the cabinet I0. Y Y

As shown in Figure 2, and reading from left to right, a wire 46 is connected betweenthe post 44 and the spring arm of switch 32'; a wire 41 Vsimilarly connects the second post 44 with switch 2|; a wire V48 with switch 23'; a wire 49 with switch 25'; a Wire 50 with switch 21'; a wire 5I with switch 26'; and, a wire 52 with switch 30'. Further, a wire 41 connects between the'pair of switches 20 and 2|;Y a'wire'48' between switches 22' and 23;a wire 49' between switches '24' and- 25'; a wire'SEI' between switches 26' and 2`I'j a wire'5I between'switches 28' and 23';

and a wire 52'` between switches 3Il"and 3|'.

All these wires 41', 48', 49", 5D', 5|', `and 52V', l

the latter throughV rswitch 3|', connect with a wire 46'. The circuit wire 46, 46 constitutes the main power line as will laterr appear. rAll cf these wires Vare preferably mounted on the un-V i der side of the g-ame board as indicated in Figure'3. Y Y

Wires 41e, 48e, 49a, 50a, 5I, spectively from six of the clips45 in engagement with six of the posts V44'as shown in Figure 2, to

respective brushes 411, 48h, 49", 501, A5Ib, and` 52b'mounted on an Yirrsulated plate 53, the wires Y leading to these brushes being suitably varranged in thelower part of the cabinet I 6. AV seventh Vbrush 54 is also carried by the plate 53, said j brush 54 being connected by a wire 55 withk a with the end post 44 connected with Vthe main power line 46, 46". The Vbatte'ryVS'! is suitably mounted on the floor I3 of the cabinet I0 at itsY 'motor 56 and a battery 5l in turn connectedV Y rear end, while the motor 56 is carried on a base 58 located in back of the front wall I2.

The brush 54 always engages the edge of a metallic commutator drum 58 turnable with a shaft 59, said drum being covered with an insulated cover 60 formed with a spirally arranged set of cut outs of varying lengths, numbered 41,

48, 49C, 50C, 5|, and 52, respectively in line, to

cooperate with the brushes 41h, 48h, 49", 58h, |b, and 52h.

From the structure thus far described it will be seen that an important feature, from the manufacturing standpoint, resides in the fact that the board I4 on its under side carries half of the circuit wires and that the board I4 with its switches and wires can be separately assembled as a unit. Similarly the lower portion of this electrical mechanism can be separately assembled in the cabinet as a second unit. By merely setting the assembled board unit in place in the cabinet the circuits are completed above and below when the posts 44 are placed on the clips 45.

The motor 55 has a shaft 6| carrying a worm gear 62 in turn driving a worm wheel 83 journaled on a shaft 64 supported on a bracket 85 as shown in Figures 3 and 9. This transverse shaft 64 has xed to an end thereof, a wheel 85' carrying an eccentric pin and roller 66. This roller is operable in a vertical slot 61 formed in an upright wall 58 formed on a horizontal slide member 69 suitably guided on the base 58. This slide moves longitudinally back and forth as will later appear.

The walls 68 of the slide 69 carries a pivoted spring pressed pawl to engage a ratchet wheel 1| fast on the shaft 59 to turn the drum 58 in a step by step manner, said turning movement of the drum winding a spring as in my cci-pending application identified and being held from reverse turning movement by a suitable dog as in the previous application. A lever 1I controlled by the coin slide 31 releases such dog to permit the force of the wound spring to return the drum to an initial starting position. This mechanism per se forms no part of the present invention and reference is therefore made to the co-pending application for a more detailed showing and description of these parts.

The wall 88 also h-as connected to it a forwardly extending link 12, having its front end connected to a crank 13 pivotally carried on a shaft 14 journaled in a bracket 15. The crank 13 pivotally carries a pawl 19 engageable with a ratchet wheel 11 also carried on the shaft 14. This ratchet wheel 11 may be secured to one side of a vertical drum wheel 18 loose on the hori- Zontal shaft 14, said wheel depending below the board I3 into a pocket 19 as shown in Figure l0 and having on its periphery, transversely alined pins 8|) arranged in equi-distantly, spaced pairs.

This pin wheel 18 is located at the rear end of a channel shaped sheet metal housing or frame 8| secured on the floor I3 adjacent the base 58, the top of this housing carrying an upper guide strip 82 h-aving its rear end curved for a portion of its length in close, but spaced relation around the quadrantal peripheral portion of the wheel 18, said strip having spaced slots 83 to accommodate the pins 89 which pro ject therethrough. A lower guide strip 84 is also provided as shown, and between these two strips is passed a band of tickets 85 in strip form, the band coming from a storage reel 86 suitably carried on a support 81 as shown in Figure 3. The

band of tickets is provided at equi-distantly spaced intervals with alined pairs of perforated holes 88, which receive the pins 89 so that the wheel lI8 when it rotates may positively advance the tickets in a forward direction between the guide strips 82, 84 in an obvious manner. The tickets each have printed thereon a suitable legend, such for example, as Good for two free games.

A wall 89 is carried on the housing 8l which wall with the parts 82, 84 and a bar 90, termin-ates ilush to form a shear edge adjacent the throat 9| formed in a dispensing chute 92 in front of the ticket issuer and leading to an opening 93 formed in the front wall I2 of the cabinet, said chute including a depending ticket deector 94 as shown best in Figure lil.

As appears in Figures 6 and 9 the wall 89 is bent laterally to form a cross wall portion 95 on which is pivotally mounted a knife 93 pressed by a spring 91. The knife, which is a lever, includes an extension 98 cooperable with a trip lever 99 pivoted intermediate of its ends on the wall 95. The other end of the trip lever 99 engages a pin |80 on the lower end of a vertical plate I8! having slots therein receiving pins |92 on the wall 95 to guide the plate IDI for free vertical sliding movement on the wall.

The lower edge of the plate always rests by gravity on the periphery of a cam wheel |03 turnable with the shaft 64, heretofore described. The cam wheel |03 is timed in its operation to cause the spring pressed knife 96 to operate at the proper time, said cam wheel having a low notch |94 to cause the plate I 9 I to drop suddenly, whereby to release the lever 99 and make the spring pressed knife 96 operative, in an obvious manner. This knife moves down alongside the flush end of the parts 82, 84, and 99, a shear guide |05 being provided for causing proper operation of the knife.

When the balls are released from the holes in the board I4 they pass through the slots 36 and onto a lower ball routing board |08 stationarily mounted on brackets |81 on the side walls of the cabinet. (See Figure 3.) At the lower edge of this board |96 is a transversely inclined trough |88 to receive the balls. Balls dropping from the pocket 33 fall onto an inclined chute member |89 and are thus also led to the through |88.

As appears in Figure 4 the trough |98 inclines toward an arcuate groove I I8 formed in the right hand wall of the cabinet I0 from whence they may be elevated by a pivoted lifter HI, of usual form, operable by a plunger H2, into the passage v |8 to be placed in position to be projected by the plunger I1 onto the board Irl to be trapped by the holes.

The dispenser control slide 58 carries a pin I I3 to which is connected a spring H4 having its other end connected to a post I I5 mounted on the stationary base plate 58. The control and operating parts 58, 58 are carried on the base 58 as has been stated and the ticket dispenser is jointly carried on this base 58 and a sub plate I3. In this manner the entire unit may be separately assembled and be placed on the oor I3 as a complete unit assembly. This facilitates manufacture.

In playing the game it will be assumed that all balls are in the trough |88. These balls are elevated in the manner described to be projected one at a time by the plunger i1. The balls then gravitate from the high end of the board toward the low end to be trapped in the holes formed therein. We will assume that the first two balls so playedare received inthe holes 20 Vand 2l.' These balls are then held by the switches 20', 2| in visible position in the said holes, and weighting down the spring contact elements therein to close the said switches 20', 2|. Thereafter, if the next ball played is lodged inthe master hole 32to close the Yswitch'32'-we nd a circuit from the battery, through all three switches, the

commutator 58, to the motor 56and back to the battery is completed.

This circuit is through wires 4s, as', 41', 41, 41a,

Yto commutator Vbrush 41h, contact 41, brush 54,

wire 55, motor 56 and back to the battery 57. With the motor now operating, the gearing E2,

VE3, turns shaft 64, and-eccentric whreel'65 tomove the slide 69. Movement-of the slide operates the link 'l2 to operate the pawl 1E, ratchet wheel 11 and drum 18. Turning of the drum, of course, moves the ticket web to advanceV the web toward the chute e2, the issuing end of the lwebV contacting the deiiecton in anobvious manner. Simultaneouslyy the ratchet wheel 'Il is turned by its Y paw] connected to the slide wall 68 to move the contact 41's out of engagement with the brush 4'!b i thereby breaking Vthe circuit. f The motor is thus stopped, but just before this happened the shaft ,Y 64 turned the cam wheel I3 to a point where it wiil be stopped, when the motor is cut o, to cause the'slide i0! to drop off the cam shoulder 04. This permits the spring pressed knife lever 95 to 'swing downwardly to sever one ticket from the ticket band, said ticket Ybeing good for two free plays, and dropping downl the chute 92 vto the vdischarge opening 973. The rst commutator contact 41C is, in other words, just long permit one ticket to be issued.V Y

vIn the same way as clearly shown by Figure 2, if two balls-are now lodged in the pair of holes 22, 23, a circuit 48, 48, 46', 4S, is established to the motor'and commutator contact 48C through brush enough to 48", wire 48a, commutator 58, brush 54 and wire Y to be issued. The holes 28, 29 Ywill Ycause Veight tickets to be issued; the holes 30, 3l will cause ten tickets to be issued. Y

Balls missing the switch holes are receit'ed in the out ball pocket 33 and are taken out of play.

' When the predetermined number of ballsY have been played, these balls will be in the switch holes and some perhaps in the out pocket. The corn-Y mutator drum will have wound its spring which is held locked wherever the drum stops in its rotation. Y Y

To replay the game the coin slide 31 must be Y operated. This shifts the panel 35fto release theY balls from the switches. .As the panel is'shifted the hinged switches drop into the respective slots 'este permit the bans to tou therefrom through the slots 35 and onto the ball routing panel l|96 for return to the trough |08. The balls Vfrom the pocket 33 also return to said trough |08 in the manner'de'scribed. WhenV the slide 31 is released the spring 36 pullsrthe panel 35 to its forward position, said panel moving the switches back into Vball receiving positions under the respective holes.

The movement-of the coinl slide 5,1 also operated the trip lever 1 I to release the dog that held Y the commutator drum, whereby its energized spring drives it reversehT toits starting position as shown in Figure 2, with the brush 41h on the Y contact 41.

From this detailed disclosure itcan now be seenV that *an improved ticket vender and an improved pin ball control means therefor has been provided, which achieves all of the desirable objects heretofore recited;

VIt is the intentionrto cover all such changes Y and modifications of the preferred `example chosen'for this disclosure which do not in material Vrespects constitute departures from .the spirit and scopeV of the invention as covered by the appended claims. Y

YWhat is claimed is: Y Y Y 1.The combination withV a motor driven reciprocatory slide member carried on a door* forme-d with an opening adjacent an end of the slide member, of a ticket dispenser comprising a. bracket mounted on the oor adjacent said opening, a Yhorizontal shaft mounted in the bracket over the opening, a pin wheel rotatable' about the axis of the shaft and extending part way ldownwardly Vinto said opening,V a guide for a ticket web arranged in close curved overshot relation to therwheel and extending tangentially therefrom over the oor to'guide a ticket web to a point of discharge, said pin wheel being located at the charging end of the guide to push the web therethrough, a ratchet turnable with the'A pin wheel, a crank arm'indepen'dently turnable onY the shaft and carrying a pawl in operative relation to the ratchet, and an operating link pivotally interconnected between the crank arm and slide member` V2. In a ticket dispenser Vcomprising a horizon- Y tal hoor formed with an opening in'which yis positione-Cl a 'rotary pin wheel on a vhorizontal shaft Ylocated above the floor, the combination therewith of an elongated housing mounted on the floor and extending from the pin wheel and in-V cluding spaced horizontal Vstrips at its topbetween which is adapted to be guided a ticket web trained over the pin wheel Vfrom a source of supply, said strips extending from the wheel to a point of discharge for the tickets, a motor driven slide mounted on thefloor adjacent the housing and located between the point of `discharge and the drum, a ratchet wheel coaxialv with the shaft and turnable with the'pin Wheel,

a crank swingably mounted on Vthe shaft including a pawlrto'engage the ratchet wheel to move the pin wheel intermittently Vin a Vdirection, toVV draw the web from the source of supply and push the free'end thereof through the guide strips to the point of discharge, and an operating link, pivotally connected between the crank and ino-V tor driven slide member, said link being movable exterior of and alongsidersaid housing.

8. In a ticket 'dispenser -for a cabinet/having a vertical wallwand a horizontal'floor with the wall having a discharge opening, the combinationtherewith of an elongated VsubstantiallyY rectangular housing carried on the floorY substantially at right angles tothe wall and having one end registering withV the openingfsaid housing( along its top including a pair of horizontalflat guide strips Vspaced apart to form a passage for a ticketV web, apin wheel journaled on ahori-V zontal axis and located at the end of the housing Y V remote from the wall, one ofV Vsaid guide strips beingcurved downwardly in overshotrrelation to the wheel so that a ticket web may be guided from a source of supply over the wheel and into the space between the guide strips, and means for turning the wheel in a step by step manner to cause it to push the free end of the web through and between the horizontal guide strips toward the opening in said wall.

4. In a ticket dispenser for a cabinet having a Vertical Wall and a horizontal floor with the wall having a discharge opening, the combination therewith of an elongated substantially rectangular housing carried on the floor substantially at right angles to the wall and having one end registering with the opening, said housing along its top including a pair of horizontal flat guide strips spaced apart to form a passage for and between the horizontal guide strips toward 10 the opening in the wall, said guide strips terminating short of said wall and opening, and an inclined chute at the terminal end of said guide strips to direct the discharging end of the web through said opening at substantially floor level. l5

RAYMOND T. MOLONEY. 

